VAB Finds 85% Of TV Networks Using New Measurement

by Wayne Friedman , August 8, 2022

Eighty-five percent of TV networks are using new measurement currencies and tools in recent upfront deal-making with advertisers, according to a new survey by the TV network advertising group VAB.

The research also shows that between 25% and 49% of upfront advertisers --175 advertisers -- are actively using or testing a measurement option other than Nielsen.

The group has been highly critical of Nielsen, the dominant TV measurement provider for decades. In 2021, it said that due to Nielsen's pandemic-related maintenance issues, there was significant undercounting of TV impressions.

Earlier this year, the VAB said undercounting resulted in a $700 million loss in advertising revenue -- a loss of 60 billion TV impressions from September 2020 through December 2021.

Major advertising categories using new measurement tools include automotive, consumer packaged goods, telecommunications, quick service restaurants and pharmaceuticals.

It adds that new measurement options are most frequently used in linear TV, streaming, connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top platforms (OTT).

The group says its methodology was “confidential multi-question survey distributed to all Measurement Innovation Task Force companies who transacted advertising dollars in the ‘22/23 Upfront. VAB aggregated and reported results.”

The VAB says the survey is inclusive of the major TV publishers and a majority of the single networks.

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3 comments about "VAB Finds 85% Of TV Networks Using New Measurement".

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Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, August 8, 2022 at 11:16 a.m.
Boy, that must really terrify the folks at Nielsen, Wayne. Except just about every national TV buy still starts with Nielsen ratings as its audience "currency" and the claim that 85% of TV sellers are also using something else doesn't tell you what percent of the ad dollars are involved with such add-on "currencies" nor what they are---promised corporate CTR rates, average commercial attentiveness metrics, something else?Also not explained is what happens if a promised CTR rate or attentiveness level is slightly undelivered---cash rebates?, a few makegood spots?---even if the Nielsen ratings---or GRPs ---come in as promised? Frankly, I'm a bit surprised that 15% of the sellers didn't use something different with at least one customer -----but Nielsen. Come on guys and gals,let's get with the program.
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John Grono from GAP Research, August 8, 2022 at 7:20 p.m.

Wow. A 'multi-question' survey. Absolutely ground breaking!

Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, August 9, 2022 at 12:33 a.m.

So now we use "digital speak" when describingTV networks?I wonder what books, newspapers and magazines the "TV publishers" who responded to this survey offer to the public?Probably not many.